Barrette



N 1952 A. J. STRUPPE 18, 78

BARRETTE Filed Feb. 27, 1951 Patented Nov. 18, 1952 BARRETTE Andrew J. Struppe, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Delamere Company, Inc., Jersey City, N. J a

corporation of Delaware Application February 27, 1951, Serial No. 212,869

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a barrette, and more particularly to improvements in the wire tongue thereof.

Barrettes of the type to which this invention relates are usually provided with a Wire tongue made of high carbon spring steel. Use of such steel in making the tongues occasions substantial wear on the forming dies with the result that they have to be frequently replaced or repaired at considerable expense.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome these objections by providing a tongue of such construction that it may be made of low carbon basic steel wire that is relatively soft and that will not injuriously affect the dies of the wire forming machine by which the tongues are made.

Other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a barrette having a tongue embodying the invention, showing the tongue by broken lines in open position;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The barrette has a body member Ill formed with an integral hinge block H on its under surface adjacent one end, and an integral catch or keeper 12 adjacent the other end. The body member is curved lengthwise as shown in Fig, 1, and is preferably made of molded plastic material.

The tongue I3 is made of a single piece of low carbon, untempered, drawn basic steel wire doubled to form two substantially parallel legs 14-44, the two being connected on one end by a U-bend l5, and each having an inturned portion H5 at the opposite end, which inturned portions fit into the opening in the hinge block H. The legs [4 are bent inward toward each other and are fastened together by a strap I! adjacent the hinge block to secure the ends pivotally in the block.

On reference to the drawings it will be seen that the legs [4 of the tongue are bent lengthwise in such curvature that in the closed or operative position of the tongue, shown in full lines in Figure 1, the portion l8 of the legs will contact the lower surface of the body member l8, and the end l5 of the tongue will bear resiliently against the catch or keeper I2.

I have found that by flattening the sides l9 of the wire in the portion I8 of the legs, the tongue will have sufficient rigidity to hold its shape even though made of relatively soft, untempered, low carbon basic steel wire, but will also have suhicient resiliency to cause the end l5 of the tongue to press firmly against the catch l2 in the closed position of the tongue.

For the sake of simplicity of construction I prefer to flatten the sides of the wire only through the portion [8 of the legs of the tongue, but it is to be understood that if desired the sides of the wire may be flattened through a greater extent of the tongue, or even throughout its entire length.

What I claim is:

1. In a barrette, a body member, and a tongue member hinged to the body member, said tongue member being formed of relatively soft malleable Wire having flattened side portions that give it rigidity.

2. In a barrette, a body member arched lengthwise, and a tongue member hinged to the body member, said tongue member being formed of relatively soft malleable wire having flattened side portions that give it rigidity and being arched lengthwise, the longitudinal arcuate curvature of the tongue being such that in closed position it will bear resiliently against the body member intermediate its ends.

3. A barrette comprising a body member having a hinge block adjacent one end and a catch adjacent the other end, and a substantially U- shaped tongue pivotally secured to said hinge block, said tongue being made of a single length of low carbon, untempered, drawn basic steel wire having flattened side portions.

ANDREW J. STRUPPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,422,464 Meserole July 11, 1922 2,495,455 Huppert Jan. 24, 1950 

